


The Right Time for a Vacation

by RomaInvictus



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anxiety, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/M, Gay Keith (Voltron), Historical, Keith (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Multi, My first time doing this, Probably Klance later on, Time Travel, Violence, War, can you tell, idk how tags work, mild shallura, stay tuned for more, the gang gets time traveled
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:32:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomaInvictus/pseuds/RomaInvictus
Summary: Allura just informed the paladins that her people had time travel technology, but only functional for recreational trips!  They can't change the past, but perhaps the kids can get some goddamn peace and quiet for a day.  Depends on where they want to end up.That is, if the machine works properly...  If not, Team Voltron is in for a hell of a vacation.





	1. Scattered to the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang Gets Time Traveled

“The castle can actually DO that!?” chirped a fascinated Pidge. 

“Oh, yes! Alteans of old were masters of time manipulation, and could go to any time that they wished.” Princess Allura explained to the assembled Paladins. 

Shiro’s strategic mind was buzzing with possibilities presented, so he asked, “So, why haven’t you mentioned this before? We could use this to fight the Galra- even stopping Altea from falling to begin with!”

The princess studied him with a sad expression and said, “Of course, the program immediately pulls you out if you attempt to manipulate the past, but it was used as a form of holiday for many interested in history. It is more of a trinket than weapon, safe for anyone who wishes to witness the other ages in their species' past.”

Jumping up and down, Lance shouted, “Oh yeah! Anyone else hearing the same thing as me? Wild West Rootin’ Tootin’ Time Travel Vacation!” He finger gunned Keith for good measure, met with the roll of lilac eyes and a scowl.

Pidge cut in, “Umm, if we go anywhere, it is going to be where they know what a germ is! To Tesla! Or oh wait- Einstein’s lectures! Curie’s lab! Wait-” Her face had a content smile as she continued to be lost in fantasies of meeting her heroes. Matt put an arm on her shoulder, almost as blissed out as her by the thought.

The rest of the paladins had a smirk on their faces as they looked at their youngest member so happy- an innocence rarely witnessed anymore.

Tentatively, Hunk broke the lull by adding, “Could we- I dunno- go to a place that is nice? I don’t care where- or actually when I guess- but I could really use a nice break.”

Keith, who was quiet the entire time, slowly nodded in agreement. His shoulders were heavy with the stress of both the Blades and Team Voltron over the past few months. Nobody else had really seen the small movement, but Shiro looked at the boy in front of him, and made the decision. If Keith really admitted to wanting a break, he knew how badly the rest of the team needed one. These kids deserved a sci-fi worthy day of wonder. It wasn’t fair that they got dragged into a galactic war in a flying space castle controlled by a magical alien princess without a little fun from time to time. The last few months were taking their toll, and he needed his team- his friends- to be feeling their best.

So, instead of turning to more pressing concerns, Shiro played along. “Coran? Could this work still?”

“Shiro, my boy, it was built ten thousand years ago by the most skilled tempralmechanists I have ever known,” Coran looked at him out of the corner of his eye seriously, mustache twitching to give away the thrill behind his facade, “so in other words, I would trust it with my life.”

“WOHHOOOOOO TIME VACATION!!!!” Lance grinned, starting to sing a weird warpy tune that Keith instantly recognized as the Dr. Who theme song.

“Didn’t take you for a fan of that show,” Keith said, smirking with one eyebrow raised and arms crossed. 

“HA! Lance is a Dr. Who nerd!” Pidge cackled.

Lance, freezing mid-wiggle, looked her dead in the eye and said, “Pidgeon, Keith never said the name of the show” and with a shit-eating grin over-enunciated, “You guys are still the nerds.”

“Oh, shut up! Everyone has a Dr. Who phase!” Pidge muttered.

“HA! Pidge is a Dr. Who nerd!” Matt teased, in a mocking voice meant to sound like his sister.

“Shut up, Matt, you were the one who made me watch it!”

Keith uncharacteristically shrugged off the dig, simply smiling in acceptance as he watched the siblings squabble. Lance narrowed his eyes, waiting for more. Even a few months ago, a smile on Keith would have been ridiculously out of place, but Lance had noticed it creep up on his teammate’s stupid mullet-framed face more and more. He was letting his walls down brick by brick, and the thrill of time-travel was probably enough to get even that grumpy emo in a good mood. Lance almost giggled as he remembered the Drake and Josh episode where a prison convict said, “I am feeling stabby.” Summed up Keith pretty well most of the time.

“Alright, alright, now, how do we begin this?” Shiro cut in, before bickering could continue, pulling Lance out of his train of thought.

Allura looked around the large room they found themselves in. Circles in the ground surrounded a central panel, and she stood over it. She had gone on time trips enough times to remember how the machine worked, but it would be her first time controlling it. She was confident though, and Coran was there to help her.

“What will happen is you all stand around me, just like that, and then I will power the main keyboard over here. You will be automatically put in clothes to match your desired time-period, and no harm shall befall you. It gives you money and tools normal for your era. The machine will pull you out if it senses pain, or the threat of a time-breach. That is when you manipulate the course of events that should not be altered. You can only go to places that one of your species has already been to, meaning your options are limited to Earth’s history. It senses your desires, and drops you off in the perfect time that would relax you the most. You are given twenty-four hours, and then will be pulled back here.”

As she spoke, the paladins and Matt walked to their own circles, each listening intently. Keith took a breath, outwardly appearing calm but squealing like a kid at a carnival inside. He was ready for a chance to train with real samurai, hoping he didn’t end up fangirling over them.

“Any questions before we begin?” Allura asked.

“Umm- yeah, are you going to test it out before we-” Hunk asked. 

"Here we go!" Allura interrupted, starting the process.

Flashes of light filled the room, and the ground whirred with energy. Under the humans’ feet, they all could feel vibrations. Keith’s heart was beating in his chest too fast. He could barely register anything other than the rush of blood in his ears and the adrenaline tingle in his fingers. Shiro glanced at the others with a protective gaze. The light grew brighter, and soon the time travellers were blinded.

“FUCK YEAH” Lance shouted.

“LANGUAGE” Shiro shouted back. It was almost drowned out by the sudden warning beep breaking through the whirs. The paladins (and Matt) could only hear snippets of Coran and Allura shouting.

“Princess! Stop immediately! Something is going wrong!”

“No! Deadly to stop-”

“Malfunction”

“Scattered! Have to find them before-!”

And then all they saw was darkness as they felt the floor disappear underneath them. As they fell, they screamed, aware that they could no longer hear their friends in the black.

\------------------------------------------

The Alteans stood quietly, staring at the empty room where their paladins used to be. Allura felt hot tears down her face, and she fell to her knees. Whether from exhaustion or emotional distress she didn’t know.

Soon she felt the arms of Coran wrap her in a tight hug, and she sobbed into his shoulder. Once again, they were entirely alone in the galaxy.

“We can sort this out, Princess. I am sure they are alive. Those humans are a tough bunch, and our friends don’t give up easily. Wherever and whenever they are, we can find them.”

She pulled away and saw a small smile on the male Altean’s face as he thought about their friends. He couldn't know for sure, but she felt a rush of gratitude at the man’s attempt to cheer her up nonetheless.

“Yes, Coran. You are right. We will find our paladins if it is the last thing I do.” As she stood up, black spots danced across her vision, and the room began to spin.

“Woah there, you are spinning faster than a hungry Nova-weebleeb! You need to get some rest, and I will take over here for now. Once you are strong again, we will find our friends.”

“Yes… Yes, thank you Coran.” Allura could have denied her condition, but she knew he was right. As soon as her head hit her bedroom pillow, she was lost in a sea of dreams. Some of home, some of war, and most of all the frightened faces of the friends she had lost along the way.

Coran sighed once the princess was out of the room. It was no use letting her see the defeat that threatened his thoughts. Work would keep his mind from that rabbit-hole.

He began sweeping the ashmarks that stained the metallic floor. Scrubbing hard, he tried to wipe away the distressing possibilities that presented themselves. They could only hope that before the malfunction the machine had connected to the historical trails of Earth. 

'If not,' Coran swallowed at the thought, 'the paladins of Voltron are irreversibly fused with the pure fabric of space-time itself.'

He began to clean faster.


	2. Yours, Mine, and Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang Gets Historical

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come

Pidge felt grass below her, letting out a loud “OOF” and a “FUCK” as she was very aware of the rocks underneath her.

Blinking, she registered the trees surrounding her. They were all tall- taller than she had really seen many of on Earth. Replaying the last few minutes in her head, she knew she had to figure out where- or when- they were.

Suddenly looking around, she noticed that she was very alone. Blinking back tears and feeling the tightness of panic in her throat, she called out into the meadow. 

“Matt?! Shiro?! Hunk? Lance? Keith? Anyone?” With each name, her voice got softer, until it was just a whisper. Pulling her hands into fists, she cleared her throat, unwilling to let the gathering tears fall until she had some answers. She needed to find out where- shit when- she was. Her mind whirred as she studied the terrain.

Shifting to get a better view, she realized that she no longer wore her glasses. She dimly understood that she had to be before the invention of them, then. When was that? 1800’s? She thought back to some old-timey paintings she had seen. Telescopes were from the 1500’s right? So like probably around then maybe. 

Pidge sighed at her logic. ‘Great, so I am some time before 1900 and who knows exactly when.’ Smirking a bit she thought about the fact that trees were invented at least. 

Grabbing her arm, she suddenly realized the material of her clothes. ‘Shit right! The fabric might give me a clue!’ She thought. Looking down, she was in animal skins, some decorated with beads that were made of small shells. It was finely created, and soft to wear. Pidge frowned. ‘Sometime before 1900 judging by my “fit in” clothes.’

Shakily standing up, she made her way to the edge of the clearing. Looking down, she saw plenty of acorns and other nuts. The climate was cold, but not uncomfortable, and the trees were deciduous. A chipmunk scuttled away into the foliage with a warning chirp.

‘So, post-Ice Age America then. Fanfuckingtastic.’ At least her early obsession with climates and biology paid off. That was before she discovered her love of technology and shelved other interests.

Pidge grumbled and kicked a rock, watching it bounce away into the bushes. She breathed the clean air, and suddenly felt the tingle of adventure. Although this was an age cursed with a lack of computers, it was the past. She was a time traveller now, and ready to explore.

\-------------------

Lance looked around in awe of his surroundings. Shocked, he could barely stand up without feeling dizzy. ‘Holy crow, this can’t be real.’ His hands smoothed his pale blue tunic nervously as he studied the world he was thrust into.

Surrounding him was the hustle and bustle of a Roman Forum in all its glory. Men walked under colonnades, wearing togas and important looks on their faces. They rushed with purpose, some with small scribes scurrying behind them. Women walked around in groups, their laughter echoing through the space. Messengers ran with packages and scrolls in their hands. The marble surrounded them all and the large space was beautiful. Some temples were broken, and signs of building were everywhere. 

Lance realized as soon as his butt hit the stone floor that he could understand the shouts of the passerby. He somehow knew it was Latin, but his brain translated it into English automatically. 

Excitement coursed through his spine. I mean, it isn’t cowboys, but it is pretty cool anyway…

He glanced around, and noticed a pretty face with brown hair and eyes staring at him. The girl had a beautiful red veil on her head, and a fan in her hands. When their eyes met her face color matched the crimson of her stole and she looked at the ground embarrassed. 

‘Maybe cooler than cowboys afterall’… Lance thought with a flirty smile plastered on his face. He could learn to like it here. Sauntering over, he felt confidence that he was lacking only two ticks before. Once he got to the girl, she blushed and giggled. 

“Name’s Lance, beautiful. Would you mind telling me where I am, and more importantly, if I can take you out to dinner?”

“How bold for a stranger! I couldn’t possibly be seen at a tavern with a rapscallion of your stature! And you are in the forum of Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum, of course!” She smirked back serenely as if she just didn’t let slip a death sentence.

Lance blinked, letting himself adjust to the new slice of information. Specifically the POMPEII part of what she said. Glancing up, he finally noticed the large mountain- no they would soon learn it was a volcano- looming in the distance. His breath caught as every documentary he watched on the subject replayed in his mind. 

He weighed his options. Stay here with his new lady friend, or head in any direction away from Vesuvius. Sniffing, he realized he was being ridiculous. He didn’t even know what year it was! Pompeii was centuries old, and he could have landed at any point in its history that was not on THE DAY. Like what were the odds of being on the Titanic during THE voyage? ‘Oh wait, it only went on that one sail… nevermind, bad example.’

Breathing slowly, he smiled at the girl. ‘Vacations wouldn’t want me to stress about getting burned to a crisp, right?’ he thought.

“Then how about showing me around this place?” Lance said grinning. She grabbed him by the hand, laughing as they ran through the streets of the most unfortunate town in the Roman Empire. As he went along, footsteps pounding against the dirt, he could almost forget the imagined screams from the future that would be heard in every space.

\------------------------------------

Matt blinked as he felt the concrete below him. Groaning, he lifted his head. Honks and chatter filled his ears, and the smell of a dirty city filled his nose. On the wind, he could hear music playing in the background. ‘Fall Out Boy?’

“Probably a bum or something” He heard someone say as they stepped over him. Blinking again, Matt sat up to realize he was in the middle of Times Square. ‘So at least I have the where. What about the when?’

Looking up, on the news ticker-tape he tried to find clues. He gasped when he saw the main story read “Britney Spears Meltdown!” 

‘Oh no… oh no… no… I can’t be trapped here…’

Standing up fast, the people walking around him didn’t seem to notice. They had better things to do than gawk at the weird kid who was laying on the gum-littered sidewalk. 

Matt investigated his clothes, finding a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a t shirt and vest combo. ‘Oh god, anything but this.’

Shakily, he felt his pocket to find a small object. Taking it out, he looked at the piece of plastic as if it had cursed him out. Panic coarsed through him at the realization. 

He gripped the Nokia flip phone in his hands as he walked quickly away from the square. He didn’t have a destination in mind, but he needed to process when exactly he found himself. His converse scuffed the ground, as he rushed through the crowd, suddenly suffocating in the world he found himself. Lady Gaga began playing from a boombox somewhere in the confusion. 

‘I am stuck in bedazzled cell-phone hell. They need to rescue me now before the Jonas Brothers get stuck in my head forever!’

As he reached a side street, he was already humming S.O.S softly.  
\--------------------------------------------

Hunk rolled down the grassy slope, finding to way to stop himself before finally face-planting at the bottom. Lifting his head, he came face-to-face with a sheep frozen mid-chew. It seemed offended at the intrusion, and with an angry bleat, turned to scamper away. 

“Uh, ok. So like, I am past the domestication of the sheep then. Cool. Great. Like that is a short amount of time. I guess it is a start though” Hunk muttered to himself as he stood, brushing the grass from his… weird new outfit?

He lifted his hands to inspect the ruffles on his sleeves and moved them to his stomach to feel the buttons lined up and down them. Strangest was his pants- or the lack thereof. A yellow and orange kilt hung down him, but it was too short to cover most of his legs. ‘Am I in Outlander now?! Where did my underwear go!!??’

Glancing around the glen, he could see an estate in the distance. He shrugged, thinking about his options. Looking down, he noticed that he had landed on a fancy hat that he was probably wearing in the tumble. 

“Ew, gross. It looks like George Washington’s goofy hat.” Hunk giggled while he spoke to himself as he reshaped it and stuffed it on his head. Once he was as ready as he could be, he began to pick his way through the field to the estate in the distance.

“Pardon me, madam,” he tipped his hat to a grazing sheep on his right. 

“Toodly doo, gentleman,” he bowed, letting his coat flick behind him dramatically. Hunk was having too much fun. His weird boots were worth getting used to, and he wasn’t walking as funny in these stuffy clothes anymore.

Suddenly he heard an aggressive bleat behind him. Turning, he saw an angry ram lowering its head and snorting. Its fluffy black wool did not match the deadly look in its eye.

“Aw, jeez. Mr. Sheep, are you really gonna be like that?” Hunk said, worry filling his voice. ‘Could nothing be easy.’

Backing away slowly, he turned. The angry stomping behind him warned of an incoming charge, and suddenly with a scream, Hunk was sprinting. The farm animal was in hot pursuit.  
\---------------------------------

Shiro couldn’t see anything past the bag on his head. The hot air that he was breathing made the fabric cling to his face. He was shoved to his knees, and he heard the commanding voice of his captor behind him.

“The prisoner will bow before his Khan.” He knew it wasn’t English, but he could understand the gravelly language spoken. 

The spears pushing him onto his stomach poked into his shoulder blades, and then suddenly disappeared. Shiro’s hand was bound behind him, and as he lay on the floor he assessed the situation. ‘Ok… Galra couldn’t have hurt me too badly. Feet seem fine, back sore, head a bit groggy’… and then he froze. ‘Do the Galra have a Khan now?’

Remembering all at once how he got into this situation, he remembered that he was no longer a prisoner of the Galra. It was a new threat waiting beyond this sack. Pulling his hand into a fist, he was ready. It seems that his robotic arm would be out of place, obviously. Shiro had feared that before going in. So he was in some point before modern magical alien prosthetics. ‘Narrows it down to a couple of millennia, I guess.’

He was so lost in thought, he barely had time to register the guards yanking him to a kneeling position before pulling off the bag. Squinting to the bright room he found himself in, Shiro gasped at the magnificent scene. Gold was everywhere, bright silks hung low intricately decorated in beautiful dragon patterns. A giant throne lay in front of him, and on either side were crowds of people wearing costumes that looked elegant in every bright color of the rainbow. The man lounging on the throne had the appearance of one who was confident in ownership, whether it was the gold surrounding him, the throne below, or maybe even most of Asia.

As Shiro looked on, the guards all bowed, and the words they shouted echoed throughout the palace.

“All hail Kublai Khan!”

‘So the time-machine works,’ Shiro thought, beholding one of the most powerful kings in human history looking at him as if he were a strange toy never seen before. ‘Guess I am back to survival mode.’

\---------------------

Keith was aware of the humidity that caused the hair to cling to his neck. The air was hot, and the stagnant water under- correction, inside- his combat boots was not much cooler. A mosquito buzzed in his ear and all around were the screams of terrified men. Eyes widening, Keith took in the scene that he was thrust into. 

He stood in a steamy jungle gripping a metallic object. Looking down, he realized it was a gun. Covered with the mud he had fallen into, he hadn’t noticed the camo or dog tags he was wearing, or the helmet that lay beside his legs. Quickly, he put it on, instincts kicking in where confusion would let him freeze up. 

Hearing the leaves to his right erupt in gunfire, he quickly threw himself back into the sludge. Fear trickled into his very being, pin-pricking underneath his skin. ‘Maybe the castle will still pull me out after a day? Oh Allura, please get me out of here soon.’

Gritting his teeth, Keith was only certain of the fact that was now entirely alone in a whole new war. ‘Or I guess an old war, actually.’ 

Pain ripped through his leg, and as he screamed, his voice joined the chorus of suffering in that damned jungle. Before blacking out, he saw figures coming forward out of the gloom. 

'Worst vacation ever' he thought dimly while his head fell into the lukewarm water, and he tasted blood mixed with the infernal mud.


	3. Encounters of the Weird Kind (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang Gets With the Times Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I happened to crank this out super fast, so I think I'll post as I can. I will update you on the castle, Hunk, Shiro, and Keith when I can. :)

???, North America, ???, ???

The first day Pidge spent time travelling was sucky, considering all she came with were the clothes on her back and some tiny shells in a small pocket. She spent her time wandering the forest, trying to figure out where exactly she was. Too bad forests all pretty much looked the same. She missed Green, who would have been able to help out. Well… maybe not help out so much as give Pidge some company. ‘A warm place to sleep, too,’ Pidge thought.

As the day dragged on, she noticed all the wildlife flitting about. A squirrel here, a deer there, no sign of people anywhere. She wondered what would happen when the twenty-four hours were over. Would the machine pull her out? Or would Allura have to fix the bullshit that broke?

“Fucking quiznack,” Pidge muttered to herself. She couldn’t worry about IF the others made it to a time period, let alone which ones. Maybe they were even beamed to the same time periods. Sticking together is a lot harder when breaking laws of space-time.

The green paladin eventually found herself in a clearing, and she was thinking so hard she didn’t even notice the sounds of voices at first. Freezing with one foot hovering in the air, she locked eyes with two young women with dark hair and similar clothes. They held baskets filled with nuts, roots, and berries at their side. The two stared back, startled for a few moments, until they grinned warmly. Pidge was about to open her mouth to talk, but then realized that there would be a MASSIVE language barrier if she tried to use English to communicate with people from the First Nations.

“Greetings, child,” the older of the two began. Pidge could hear the soft melody of her language, but could understand everything being said somehow. ‘The wonders of that castle never cease to amaze.’

“Hello, there. Um, sorry, I got lost and I am not sure exactly how to get home.” Pidge answered quietly. The pair had moved closer, inspecting her. They seemed to be studying how pale her skin was, and the worry in their eyes showed.

“Are you sick? We should take you to our elders. They will know what to do about one who looks this pale.”

“Oh no, not sick, just lost. And a bit hungry, I guess” Pidge answered, a rumble escaping her stomach. Spending all fucking day wandering in the woods will do that to you.

The two nodded, not completely buying her explanation, but turned to walk in a different direction.

“Then you will come and eat with us tonight, and the elders can decide what to do with you, child.” The younger said over her shoulder. Pidge sighed, another groan escaping her stomach. As she walked on, she had a small smile. Her little time-travel loving ass was having an awesome time, even if it meant eating weird roots and having to stumble through the woods.  
\------------------------------------------------------

Colony of Pompeii, Italian Peninsula, Roman Empire, ?? AD

Lance sighed as he sat down on the sandy beach. The sky was blue, and the birds were chirping. The Mediterranean stretched out in front, and the coast bent far into the distance. It had been about a week since he came here, and he had not grown tired of the beauty of the place. The town itself was a bit rough around the edges in certain neighborhoods, but stunning nonetheless. It is strange how easily one can grow accustomed to time travel. And living in a tavern without plumbing.

“Who knew Pompeii was such a paradise?” Lance muttered to himself, soaking in the warmth of the sand under his body. The prattle of fishermen broke through the crash of the waves, and the air smelled like fresh salt. With a pang, he was reminded of his home. His thoughts floated around where- fuck when- the others ended up, his family, space battles so far off… 

Before he knew it, Lance was dozing off in the warm sunlight. He was so lost in his dreams, couldn’t feel the small tremor that shook the town behind him. The Romans looked around suspiciously, freezing wherever they were working, before smiling at their own foolish fear. It had been only a small shake. Nothing to be afraid of, and not at all like the big earthquake that had happened years ago. Afterall, Pompeii was a very boring town.

\-------------------------------------------------------

New York, NY, USA, 2007 AD

Matt pushed his way through the crowd of tourists muttering to himself. He had to keep sane in this hell. As he walked down a random street near Hell’s Kitchen, he thought of his sister. 

‘I wonder where she ended up. I’ll be so pissed if she met Tesla and I didn’t!’ Matt thought to himself. The credit card in his pocket had a small lion carved into it, from Bank Altea. After he didn’t get zapped back the first day, Matt had started to try to find his own way to Voltron. 

He had tried to max out the card, trace the account, and even to figure out if the numbers on it were any form of code. Wasting two weeks of his life trapped in 2007 was NOT what Matt had in mind for a vacation. He was losing his mind because he had nothing to do, and he was in an age on the very cusp of actual technology. It was such a tech tease.

Since he had an endless supply of money and nothing else better to do, it was awesome to just grab an empanada, head to the park, and people watch. 

“These freaks don’t even realize how weird they are,” Matt muttered, scowling over his empanada. The fifth scene kid wearing eyeliner and Hot Topic original “Rawr I Iz a Dino” shirt had just sauntered by. The cool kids weren’t much better wearing all pink Jucy jumpsuits, or shitty faded polos. 

He was interrupted from his conversation with himself by the woman laughing next to him on the bench. She smiled and studied him with a glint of delight in her eyes. 

“You got that right, sweetie. Back in my day, tie-dye and bellbottoms were all the rage, but DAMN at least we didn’t have whatever fashion disaster this is.”

“The nineties were worse, though,” Matt quipped, smiling.

“Holy fuck, they were. Thank Christ we got outta those neon-colored sweatpants years. I was about to flip my shit if I saw another stupid sweater. Makes you wonder where we will be in a few years from now. Hope fashion gets better.” 

“I am sure it will. People will come to their senses, y’know… probably.” Matt said, studying the pigeons gathering the bench. 

“We can always pray,” she answered. With that, the woman shook her head, stood up with a nod, and walked away. Matt took another bite, just as someone walked by holding the brand-new never before seen iPod Touch. Wow. A touch screen. So revolutionary. Studying a billboard in the distance, he recognized the movie poster. The only thing this trip would do was give him the privilege of seeing Shrek 3 in theatres.

‘Goddammit, Allura, you have to rescue me before I commit a murder.’ he thought, inhaling the rest of the empanada before going on his way.


	4. Encounters of the Weird Kind (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang Gets With the Times (Part II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! I am writing a lot faster than I thought I would, so here ya go. Enjoy, ya history nerds.

???, Clan Donald Land, Scotland, 16?? AD

“Woah, that is a pretty big tree! Are you gonna… need some help moving it to get the field ready?” Hunk smiled helpfully at the large kilted man in front of him. He wore a scraggly beard and a kilt that could stand to be a bit longer… especially when he bent down.

Shivering a bit, Hunk looked away as best he could while the man turned at the interruption. The past week he had been a guest in the town, the people of the Glen were wary of outsiders, but warm once they got to know you a bit.

“Git awa' unless ye kin hurl this caber,” said Malcom the Wee, as he was known. Eyeing him with the glint of challenge in his eyes, Malcom who was not wee at all added, “Or wid ye end up wi' a goosed back if ye tried.”

Hunk furrowed his brow in mock offence. He understood about every other word with this lot of Scots, but they had been kind to him. 

“Oh, come on. I can throw the rocks pretty far! Like I know you like to throw trees, but I would prefer to do it near a hospital, you know?”

“Whit's a hospital mah laddie. Ye say th' maist doolally things,” Malcom choked out through his laughter.

“Wait, you don’t know what a hospital is?! Oh, gosh. Okay. Just great. Oh right, forgot for a sec when I was. Guess Pidge was right about the germs thing.” Hunk said, rushing over his thoughts as Malcolm slowly crouched near the log. His movement interrupted the paladin’s word vomit.

“Hold on, are you really going to lift that thing?!”

“Aye ah plan tae wance ye stoap talking tae me!”

Nervously backing away with apologies, Hunk got a look at the rest of the field. A bagpiper practiced while others practiced throwing stones and running. These Highland Games would be a large highlight of the year, and Hunk was told that even the Clan leaders would make an appearance. He couldn’t wait for what was in store, although he still held out hope that Allura would pull him out before he got the plague or something. Did they have that in the late 1600’s? He was already here for a few weeks! Hunk wasn’t sure, because history wasn’t as fun as science to him as a kid. Who knew it would come in handy now?

The view was worth it. Clouds covered bright green mountains in the distance, and all through the valley of Glen Coe was peaceful.

\-------------------------------------------------------  
Classified Location, Front Lines, Vietnam, 1969 AD

Voltron felt so far away. Sometimes just flashes of color were all he could remember. How long had it been? A month? Two? Time melted in this jungle until you could barely keep track of the days. 

Keith woke up with a start to the sound of a radio’s static. His hand instinctively twitched, his mind at ease when it felt the cool metal of his gun. It was the only thing remotely cold in this steamy hell. His leg throbbed where the old bullet wound was swollen. The good news: it only seemed to hurt now when it was about to rain. The bad news: in Vietnam it rained most of the time.

The jungle air was like soup, and every movement brought more moisture on to your skin. Sweat mixed with the damp ground and made Keith’s back sticky and hot. His clothes clung to his body, and he no longer smelled the rankness of his uniform. The musks of the other soldiers mixed with his odor, and they all were miserable together getting whiffs of fear, strain, and despair.

Sitting up, he brushed the hair out of his eyes as he looked at the members of his team fiddling with the radio. Buzz and Rand. 

“The fuck you lookin’ at, Keith?” Rand smirked.

“Just the two ugliest motherfuckers in the whole jungle. They just woke me up because they decided to break the only goddamned radio we have.” Keith answered with a snarl.

The two looked at eachother and snorted. Keith found that the soldiers here enjoyed his blunt way of talking that his friends in Voltron did not. 

Their conversation woke up their other squad member. Marbles jumped up with a scream. Keith would have been frightened by Marbles, but the men had all grown accustomed to each other's presence a long time ago. The three around him were the only faces that Keith had seen in months. The only faces still alive, anyway. That would all change tomorrow, when they finally would come across the outpost and get a break.

Marbles murmured under his breath, and Keith took it in stride. There was no question the jungle did things to a person’s mind. None of the men liked sudden noises, and their eyes had the telltale shifty gaze of a feral animal that was used to making split-second judgements.

Yawning and rolling up his bedding, the paladin could barely even taste the mud in his mouth anymore. His stomach felt empty, but hunger pains no longer troubled him. In his childhood, Keith went in and out of different foster homes all of which had a limited amount of food wasted on the orphan kids. He was used to not eating, that is until he ended up a part of Voltron. He never realized how soft he got until he was back on a regimented eating plan. The first week, he couldn't sleep because he was curled up feeling his stomach cramp inside him. Now, just like in his days of youth, he bore the emptiness with barely a thought.

Once what was left of the squad was all packed up, they began their march. Keith was limping a bit, and he bit back curses when he could. That meant rain today. As they shuffled along, none of them saw the lurking shadow watching them.  
\-------------------------------------------------------

Present Day, Castle of Lions

“I just can’t see how to make this work!” Allura said, frustration dripping into her words. Blinking hard, she swallowed the disappointment bubbling up as another attempt at fixing the time manipulator failed.

Coran stood nearby with a bowl of space goo at the ready. His confident nod helped to encourage Allura to try once again.

Sighing, the woman furrowed her brow in concentration. As she felt the magic pulse around her, it was difficult to stay on track. She was pulled in so many directions at once, there was nothing she could do except be swept into the coursing flow of time. Her consciousness drifted to all of her friends simultaneously, and she felt a wave of confusion, pain, excitement, and a hundred other emotions flickering through her paladins’ minds. Visions ranged in her head from laughter around a campfire, to a beautiful stone city, there was a man throwing a tree, and an army mobilizing on what appeared to be some sort of animal like Kaltenecker headed towards a towering wall in the distance, a strange screen showed a green creature with a strange accent, and a burning village. As the images flashed faster and faster, Allura could barely keep track of what she saw. Overwhelmed, she stumbled back. Just like the last dozen times she tried.

Regaining her composure, she realized her friend had stepped closer with concern etched into his features. 

“Everything okay, Princess?”

“No, no everything will not be okay until I am able to master this quiznacking machine and find our friends!” Allura’s voice was harsh, some of the more violent images causing her to worry for her friends. A sense of urgency filled her. It had been almost two days! The Galaxy needed Voltron, and she needed her new family of goofy aliens even if their ears were hideous looking.

“Coran, they seem to be separated, and I cannot reach all of them.”

Nodding, the Altean studied the machine. Suddenly, Coran turned and said, “When I used to juggle, it was so much easier to toss one ball in at a time.”

“This is hardly the time for a lesson on juggling,” Allura said slowly with a frown. ‘What was he thinking?’ she thought.

“Well, there you are wrong! It is always time to learn such an important skill! But I was thinking about something more at hand. Perhaps taking out one paladin at a time would allow you to focus your skills in a more productive manner.” Coran explained, twisting his orange mustache. 

Allura gasped, shocked by the simplicity of the answer.

“You are right, Coran! I was trying so hard to hold onto all of them, that it never occurred to me to pull them out one at a time!” Smiling with new energy, Allura jumped to her feet, ready to give another go.

Coran just grinned back. He knew his new family was in good hands, and as the machine began to whir to life, new hope bloomed through both survivors.

The young Altean reached out through the paths, focusing on the first of her family to be pulled back. Instead of trying to keep track of the magical roadways spiraling out ahead, she let herself be guided along. Breathing heavily, she bowed her head in concentration, following her heart.

All at once, she felt him. Just a flicker of a thought, but it was him.

Smiling, she called out.

“Shiro!”

Suddenly the whole image came into focus, and she saw the man sitting on a large cushion in a beautifully lit room. His clothes were made of a shining fabric, and he was looking intently at a scroll in his hand. Allura was relieved just by the fact that he was alright. ‘If he made it, the rest might have too,’ she thought.

“Shiro! Can you hear me!?”

The image rippled as Shiro’s head lifted. The white and black hair on his head swayed as he tried to find the source of the noise. Finally, after a whole lot more yelling from the Altaean, his eyes focused on her.

Jumping up, Shiro made a noise of happy surprise. He neared the edge of the magic, and as Allura reached out her hand, he grabbed it.

Suddenly they were both sprawled across the floor of the castle, Shiro still in his silk robes. The one change to his appearance was the metal arm which was now reattached.

“You did it, Princess! Shiro my boy it is so good to have you back!” Coran jumped up and tackle-hugged the overwhelmed human.

Laughing, Shiro said, “It sure is glad to be back,” and fixing Allura with a grateful gaze, he quietly added, “Thank you.” It seemed to her that there was something else behind his softness, and it made her heard skip a beat for a split second. She cleared her throat and gave a nod of appreciation. It felt like she had just run three laps around the castle, and she could use an entire buffet. 

Shiro’s eyes grew hard as he once again became the leader. “Are the others alright? How long was I gone? It was about twenty days on my end, but I couldn’t keep count completely.”

Stunned the Altaeans looked at each other. Time loss was never something that happened during the vacations of old. This was new territory.

Her voice trembling a little, Allura answered, “Shiro… I think the others are okay.”

“You think or you know?!” The harsh tone startled the Altaeans. Losing twenty days trapped in the Court of Kublai Khan would do that to you.

“My apologies, I am doing the best I can.” Allura’s shoulders sagged as her voice grew hoarse. 

Shiro groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you are, Allura. It is on me for going along with this and letting Voltron get zapped to who knows where.” Every muscle was tightened, and his jaw was clenched. Through his hands, he mumbled again, “How long was I in there?”

“It has been only two days on our end, but it seems one could get lost quite easily in there. We have no time to lose saving the others.”


	5. Pidge's Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait, guys! I was finishing up my semester in Rome and time slipped away from me. I know this is a short chapter, so I will make the next ones longer. :D Hope you enjoy!

Susquehannock Land, North Eastern Woodlands, North America, 15??

 

The landscape was beautifully green, tall trees shadowed soft grass, and a small girl was sitting in the middle of this scene.  Pidge perched herself on a large rock, looking out peacefully at the forest. In her hands were small beads and some rope. The locals were teaching her how to make jewelry.  NO not because she was a  _ girl.   _ She had explained that she was good with her hands, a tinkerer by all accounts, and they valued her highly.  In their lands, anyone who could turn objects into beauty was a powerful person. They traded with other cultures, like the Haudenosaunee to the Snowy North near the lakes, the Algonquin-Speakers along the coast, those who lived to the West along the Ohio River, and even friendly tribes to the South in the mountains.  In the few days spent so far amongst these people, Pidge had learned so much about them. As she sighed in relaxation, she realized that for the first time in a while she did not care about the dirt on her fingers, or the slight dampness of the rock below her (it had rained during the night, but the wooden shelters of the Susquehannock had allowed her to sleep peacefully and warm).

 

Pidge wasn’t used to many things that she came to enjoy here.  For one, the recycled air on the castle could not compete with the untouched, never-polluted air from pre-colonized America.  She had time to think, and just  _ sit.   _ On the castle, there were always screens to yell at or people to type on… or the opposite?  Pidge smirked at her own confusion. As she looked down at the bracelet in her hands, already half-finished, she felt a swell of pride at her own achievement.  Beautifully braided with a decorative local stone in the middle. Eventually, she slowly slid off the rock, and began to turn back to camp. That is when she felt a strange tug.  

 

“What the fuck?”  Pidge squeaked, falling to her knees.  It felt almost like someone had a rope tied around her middle and gave it a big yank.

 

“Wait, did you guys find me?!  Took ya long enough! This place is amazing though!”

 

Dimly she could hear Shiro’s voice and the crackle of electricity.  It sounded like he was saying something... it was the determined voice of a leader… 

 

“She can’t see me… Can I… Grab… Pidge!... Allura, more power…. back in time really far…”

 

Suddenly, the green around her started to melt away.  White light bled through the surrounding area, until Pidge was blinded.  She closed her eyes.

 

“PIDGE!  GRAB MY HAND!”  The sudden force of those words startled her, and she opened her eyes to see the Princess reaching out her hand.  Reaching out, Pidge touched Allura’s hand, and suddenly she found herself face-down on the metal deck of the castle.

 

“It is so good to see you!  Are you okay?” Shiro’s calm voice came from above her, and she looked up to see him smiling over her, brow heavy with concern.

 

“Yeah, I am just peachy.  Partied with some First Nation families.  It was fun.” She grinned for good measure.  A pang of sadness hit her when she realized that her friends would never know what happened to her.  Nevermind her, she wondered what happened to  _ them.   _ Friendly eyes and warm smiles would not help them fight the bastards shipping out from Europe...

 

Looking down to the bracelet in her hands, she frowned a little at the thought.  But any of her ideas on the subject melted away when she felt Coran shout incomprehensibly and hug her.  

 

“IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, PIDGE!  I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE BACK, THE COMPUTERS NEED A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THEY YELLED AT ME, OF COURSE THAT ISN’T THE ONLY REASON I WANTED YOU BACK BUT IT IS A BIG REASON BECAUSE THE COMPUTER SCARES ME I THINK THE LIONS TAUGHT IT HOW TO GROWL…”

 

Pidge giggled as his rambling continued.  Over Coran’s shoulder, Pidge could see Shiro help Allura to her feet.  She seemed drained after the ordeal of summoning a paladin through time and space, but her cheeks were colored red.  Pidge’s face creaked into a knowing grin. Ooo she _likes_ Shiro!  And judging by his flustered appearance, _he_ _liked her too_.

 

Pidge filed all of this away for future teasing efforts.  She couldn’t wait to tell her friends…

 

“Hey wait!  Where is everyone else?”  She finally realized their absence, and now their silence was deafening.  The assembled group exchanged worried looks, and then Shiro spoke up.

 

“Pidge, we are getting you back one by one.  We were actually shorthanded computerwise, so we might be able to find them more quickly now with your help.”

 

Pidge only gulped.  That was a lot of pressure to put on a kid.  But then again after all they have been through, she wasn’t exactly the same little kid anymore.  With a quiet nod and a determined face, she turned to the others. 

 

“Alright.  Let’s bring them home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friendos! This is my first work, so be gentle! I thought it would be cool to see Team Voltron in different time periods, so put them in places where their own characters would be reflected. Lmk any spelling or editing mistakes you see. More to come! I plan on fleshing it out a whole lot so enjoy :)


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